


First Christmas

by bansheequeen (queenbanshee), xtremeroswellian



Series: Happily Ever After [9]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Babies, Bestest Cousins, Christmas, F/M, Families of Choice, Friendship, Lois loves her nephew, Mia adores Oliver, Mia may give Oliver a heart attack, Nervous first time parents, Oliver adores Mia, Parenthood, Protective Chloe Sullivan, Protective Oliver Queen, Santa Claus - Freeform, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, cookie baking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24260350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbanshee/pseuds/bansheequeen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: The Queen’s first Christmas as a family.
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Mia Dearden, Clark Kent & Oliver Queen, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Lois Lane & Chloe Sullivan, Lois Lane & Oliver Queen, Oliver Queen & Mia Dearden, Oliver Queen/Chloe Sullivan
Series: Happily Ever After [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750879
Kudos: 4





	First Christmas

**December 24th, 2011**

Chloe set Matthew down in the carrier gently then took a deep breath and set down on the bed. “Think he will sleep longer than fifteen minutes this time?” She asked her husband tiredly as she glanced at him then looked back at their son. 

“Probably not,” he said, also tired, but still smiling. He hadn’t quit smiling since their son had been born four days ago.

“Guess I shouldn’t hold my breath,” she told him, smiling at the look on his face. “Any word on our guests?”

“Bart will be in first thing in the morning, I’m assuming for breakfast,” he said wryly, amusement in his eyes after he shut his laptop down. “Haven’t heard from the others yet.” He peeked into the carrier where, for now, his son was blissfully asleep. 

“I’m assuming Lois will make Clark fly her here early too, it was hard to convince her we were okay for now,” she said with a smile and sat up to look at the baby too. It was hard for both of them not to stare at him.

“And she’s dying to see Matthew,” he added, reaching out and resting a hand on her back. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple. “How are you feeling?” 

“Exhausted,” she said, leaning against his side. “But happy. You?”

“Deliriously happy.” He rested his head against hers. “Why don’t you get some rest?” 

“I wanted to check with the real world once he fell asleep,” she admitted. “Besides, I still need to wrap your presents.”

“You mean you haven’t yet? What a slacker,” he teased lightly. 

“Blame your son for deciding to be born five days before Christmas,” she told him, smirking. “And you know, keeping me busy with childbirth.”

Oliver grinned and kissed her forehead, then looked at Matthew once more, who sighed in his sleep and flailed one of his tiny hands. “Sure, blame the baby.” 

“It’s not like you would yell at him,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to her husband’s jaw. “Probably ever.” 

He closed his eyes, shifting slightly and winding his arms around her. “Probably not,” he agreed.

Chloe wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes too. “How do you think it will be next year? When he is one and he can already participate more,” she asked quietly, smiling softly.

“A lot of fun,” he told her with a soft smile of his own. 

She grinned softly and nodded. “I don’t think we will be able to fit everything under the tree.” They barely managed to this year and the baby hadn’t even been born yet when they went shopping for him. 

“We might have to get two or three trees,” he joked.

“We might need a bigger living room,” she teased, then paused. “That was a joke, before you get any ideas. A house any bigger than this and we’d never find each other in it.”

Oliver chuckled. “Very funny.” After he’d found out they were going to have a baby, he’d put in an immediate order for extensive construction at his parents’ mansion, to make sure everything was up to date, renovated, safe, and as secure as it could get. Fortunately the workers had gotten done less than a month ago, and they’d been able to move in the day after Thanksgiving.

“I know you, Mr. Queen.” She hugged him to her for a second then pulled away. “Haven't seen Mia around today, I don’t think,” she said with a frown. Between the lack of sleep and being so busy with Matthew, the days kind of blended together.

He cocked his head to the side. “Me either.” He arched his eyebrows. “I should probably...go check on her.” 

Chloe nodded a little and took a deep breath. “I’ll reply to some of my emails and when you get back, I will go wrap your presents and you can have guy time.”

Oliver grinned at that. “I could take him with me,” he offered, motioning to the carrier. 

She considered that for a moment and held her breath. “I guess, eventually, he will need to leave the safety of our bedroom?”

He reached up, tucking some hair behind her ear. “It doesn’t have to be right now. Up to you.” He kissed her nose.

She wrinkled her nose a little and shook her head. “He will have to in the morning when people get here, I guess we might as well find out if moving him around will wake him up or not,” she said, looking over at Matthew worriedly. “Maybe I’ll just come with you.”

“Be happy to have you come with me,” he told her, smiling faintly when she wrinkled her nose. “Up to you, Gorgeous.” 

“I’ll walk with you guys over to the office,” she said, standing up. “I should take a look at what Watchtower has to say too, anyway.”

Nodding, he rose to his feet, as well, carefully picking up the carrier with Matthew in it, and heading for the door. “And away we go on our first adventure.” 

Chloe smiled and followed them, keeping her eyes on the baby even as Ollie carried him, she opened the door and arched her eyebrows. “At least we both know you have amazing reflexes.”

“Yes, yes, I do,” he agreed with a smirk, glancing back at her and stepping out into the hallway.

She nodded a little, stretching her back and smiling as she glanced down the large stairs. It was mostly dark in the area, except for the Christmas decorations that were lighting up the tree and some of the windows. “I hadn’t seen it at night yet, you and Mia did an awesome job with decorations.” She had helped initially, before the baby was born, mostly with untangling the lights since Oliver would barely let her get up. But he didn’t think they had enough decorations so he and Mia had finished things up the previous day while she and Matthew were sleeping. 

Oliver smiled at that. “Thanks. We had fun.” He carried the baby toward Mia’s bedroom door, reaching out and knocking softly.

“Don’t come in!” Mia said before there was a loud noise of something falling to the floor.

Chloe arched her eyebrows a little and looked down at Matthew for a long moment before letting out her breath. “Well if that didn’t wake him...”

“Maybe he’s taking after your sleeping habits,” he teased, glancing at her sideways.

“I’m not that heavy a sleeper! I just don’t sleep like a cat,” she told him, smirking. “It’d be nice if he took after Lois’ sleeping habits, though.”

“As long as that’s the only habit of hers he takes up,” Oliver responded with amusement. 

“Good point,” Chloe said, pausing when the door to Mia’s bedroom opened. 

“Is something wrong?” She asked them, eyes wide. 

He arched his eyebrows. “No. We just hadn’t seen you all day and we missed you,” he informed her.

“Oh,” she relaxed a little and nodded, pausing when she realized he was carrying Matthew. “Hey, is he getting the tour of the mansion?” 

He grinned. “Something like that, yeah.” 

“So far he’s sleeping through it, which is good to know,” Chloe told her, smiling as she looked at the baby then back at Mia. “Everything okay in there?” 

Mia straightened and nodded. “Yeah, working on a secret project for now, but you will be the first to know when it’s ready,” she promised with a grin. 

Oliver raised his eyebrows again. “A secret project?” he echoed, intrigued.

“Secret being the keyword.” She arched an eyebrow at him then stepped out of her room, pulling the door closed behind her. 

Chloe smirked a little and shook her head. “You know you saying that just makes it more intriguing, right?”

“She’s not wrong,” Oliver agreed, eyeing Mia for a moment. 

“Yeah well, lucky for me, you two will be distracted soon enough.” She grinned, looking down at the baby. “It’s too bad he’s not awake.” 

“Not really,” Chloe told her, shaking her head. “But since you two are in good company, I’ll head to the office for a little bit.”

Oliver watched her head down to the office, smile still on his face, and then he turned to face Mia again. “Want some hot chocolate?” he offered.

“Definitely, I was just thinking about a snack,” Mia said, smiling too. 

“Cool.” He turned and headed down the hall, carefully descending the stairs and making his way into the large living room area where the tree was shining brightly. Wrapped gifts and gift bags were already taking up a large portion of the room under the tree and along the window ledge. “We did a good job. Chloe said so, too.” 

“I know.” She grinned, looking up at the tree. “It looks like one of those movie trees. I can’t believe you found one this big.”

He grinned, too, glancing up at it. “Well, I know a guy...” 

“Of course you do.” She smirked, shaking her head. “Know a guy who knows how to make chocolate chip cookies too?”

Oliver smirked back at her, leading the way into the large kitchen area. “As a matter of fact, I do.” 

“Awesome, I know Matthew will appreciate it in a year or so,” Mia told him as they got to the kitchen.

“And you’ll appreciate it now,” he added, setting the baby carrier down on the kitchen table, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before moving over to the cabinet. “And I’m fairly sure Bart stocked the place with a few different kinds of cookie mix when we were all at the hospital. Think it was a hint for tomorrow.” He smirked again.

“With Mrs. Kent around, I doubt anyone will be paying too much attention to cookies though,” she teased, stopping in front of the carrier and looking at Matthew. “I can’t believe how cute he is.”

“You say that now because you haven’t had any of my cookies.” He paused at her next comment, frowning. “Of course he’s cute. How could he not be?” 

“Well I’m not _as_ biased as the two of you.” Mia smirked at him over her shoulder then looked back at the baby. “You guys did a good job.”

“Yeah, we did, didn’t we?” Oliver smiled, his eyes warm as he pulled down a box of chocolate chip cookie mix. Then he reached for the hot chocolate mix, as well. 

“Yeah, like your ego needed to get any bigger,” she told him but smiled. “Do you need any help?”

“Only if you want to,” he told her. “I’ll make enough for us tonight and enough to leave out.” 

“I don’t mind helping,” she said, taking a deep breath. “It will feel even more like Christmas, I think.”

He smiled at that. “Won’t protest the assistance. We’ll have to bake a couple batches. Gotta leave out enough for Santa tonight, and enough for the gang tomorrow.” 

“Right, Santa.” Mia grinned, “I guess we better start practicing on pretending we believe in him.”

Oliver arched an eyebrow and looked over at her. “One of us does.” 

Mia smirked slowly and arched an eyebrow right back at him. “Are you trying to tell me that you think Santa exists?”

“Santa does exist,” he informed her, leaning back against the counter. “Chloe and Clark met him a few years ago.” 

“Like the Easter Bunny exists,” Mia told him, shaking her head and glancing at Matthew. “Be glad you have me kid, your parents are insane.”

“I’m serious,” he insisted. “Chloe told me she was working at the Daily Planet on Christmas Eve, trying to figure out how to get all the toys delivered from a toy drive they’d had, because the Teamsters were on strike, and then a guy dressed as Santa showed up. She turned around for a second and he was gone, and so were all the packages. Every single one.” 

“Well, was it Bart or Clark? Because they could totally to that. Or Zee! I bet it was one of them, Clark most likely,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“It wasn’t Clark,” Chloe said as she entered the kitchen a moment later. “Or Bart, or Zee, it really was Santa.”

“Told you,” he said matter-of-factly, turning back to the boxes of cookie mix. He began to pull out the things they’d need for the cookies: a mixing bowl, the blender, some spoons and some cookies sheets.

“Really?” Mia asked, eyes wide as she stared at Chloe. 

“Really,” she confirmed, smiling at the younger girl. “You know mutants and aliens, Mia. Is Santa really that hard to believe in?”

Oliver glanced over at the younger girl, smiling softly at the expression on her face, then he began working on the batter for the cookie dough. “We decided to make cookies and hot chocolate,” he told Chloe.

Chloe rubbed a hand over Mia’s arm and walked past her to look at Matthew. “That sounds nice, especially the cookies part,” she told her husband, smiling at him then looking at her son.

“Chocolate chip,” he added. 

“Even better,” she told him, grinning softly. 

“So, back to the Santa thing,” Mia said, looking between the two of them. “Are you really sure it was him?”

“Well, he fit the description? Old man, white beard, red clothes. And the gifts vanished from the Planet. Of course I went to look it up the next day, see if the kids on the list had gotten them and every single one of them checked out.”

“Plus didn’t Clark talk him down from a roof?” Oliver cut in, arching his eyebrows.

“He did,” Chloe said with a nod and glanced at Mia. “You can ask him about it tomorrow, if you want.”

“Woah,” Mia muttered, staring between the two of them. “Okay, I’ll need some time to process _that_ one.”

Oliver smiled at her. “Come mix up this batter while you process,” he said, plugging in the mixer.

Mia gave him a look then picked up the bowl, taking it to the mixer. “Uh huh, excuse to make me work,” she teased. 

Chloe grinned a little and shook her head, turning to check on Matthew again mostly because she couldn’t stop herself from doing it.

“Hey, you volunteered,” he reminded her with a grin, kissing the top of her head as he moved past her and over to where Chloe and the baby were. “How was the email situation?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind gently.

“There are a lot of them, mostly congratulationss ones I still haven’t opened,” she admitted, smiling at him. “Replied to my editor and Vic sent some updates on mission logs and everything but things seem to be fairly quiet for a change.”

“That’s a nice change.” He rested his chin on her shoulder, eyes on Matthew.

“Yeah,” she said quietly, smiling and lifting a hand to his cheek. “Guess he really is out,” she commented when Mia started the mixer and Matthew didn’t even flinch. 

He leaned in closer, pressing a kiss against her cheek. “Maybe he is taking after Lois then.” 

“Hopefully.” She leaned her head against his. “Maybe he’s tired of tiring us out.”

He chuckled at that. “Here’s hoping.” 

* * * 

**December 25, 2011**

Oliver brought a mug of hot chocolate to his wife who was sitting on the sofa in the living room, holding their son, who was gurgling in her arms. He smiled and set the mug down on the table beside her before sitting down next to her, draping his arm around her shoulders. “Next best thing to coffee?” he said hopefully.

“Hm.” She glanced at the mug. “Does it have tiny marshmallows in it?” She asked, smiling at her husband and arching her eyebrows.

“Of course.” He almost sounded offended, then he grinned at her and kissed her softly. 

Chloe grinned softly against his lips and kissed him back then nodded as she pulled away just a little. “Then it could be, even if it’s not nearly cold enough for hot chocolate.”

“Do you miss it?” he asked quietly, raising his eyebrows. “The cooler weather this time of year?” 

She considered that for a moment. “Not on a daily basis?” She told him. “It’s nice not to have to wear five different layers every time we leave the house but today? Being Christmas and all, I feel like it should be at least colder, if not snowing.” 

He cocked his head to the side, nodding a little. “Maybe we could take a ski trip or something soon,” he said with a straight face.

Chloe smirked at that and arched her eyebrows at him. “Right, let’s take the newborn to freezing temperatures willingly, just for fun,” she teased.

He grinned, kissing her temple. “Hell we could just go to Clark’s ice castle.” 

“Uh huh, why don’t we just move Christmas there? I’d love to relive my nearly freezing to death experience,” she told him, grinning softly.

Oliver chuckled and looked down at their son. “Is Mommy being silly? I think she is,” he said, reaching out and stroking the baby’s cheek.

Chloe smiled when Matthew stilled, like he was listening and paying attention. “I can’t wait for him to start recognizing us.”

“I think he already recognizes you,” he told her honestly.

“I think in a way he recognizes both of us, he must know he is safe when we’re around or he wouldn’t calm down when we pick him up,” she said quietly. “But I don’t know if he recognizes our voices yet and I definitely don’t think he knows our faces.”

“I don’t know. All those books said that he’d be comforted by the sound of calm voices while he was in the womb, so maybe he does.” He looked at Matthew, still stroking his cheek.

“That’s true,” she said quietly, watching Matthew too. “He definitely looks like he’s comfortable right now.”

Oliver smiled softly at that, nodding. “Yeah, he does.” He paused. “I have a confession to make.” 

Chloe lifted her head to look at him and arched her eyebrows a little, smiling softly as she watched him curiously.

“I am _dying_ to know what Mia’s secret project is.” He grinned.

She nodded at that, considering it for a moment. “I am too, do you think it could be a gift for you or something?” 

“No clue. But if there’s one way to pique my curiosity it’s to tell me something is secret.” 

Chloe grinned at that and nodded. “Coming from the man who kept a secret identity for years and still has a secret club, it’s a little ironic.”

“Right?” He chuckled, kissing her temple. 

She leaned into him and smiled. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”

“Good thing I’m a patient guy most of the time.” He smirked, then glanced toward the door when the bell rang. “Guess our guests are here.” He squeezed her lightly, kissing her cheek, then rising to his feet and heading for the door.

“Who do you think it is?” She asked Matthew, shifting him carefully in her arms before standing up slowly. Even though she felt much better about it now than she had on the first day, she was still terrified to drop him. At least she figured it was a good fear to have, so she would always be extremely careful with him.

“If I had to guess? Our favorite cousin.” His voice was light and he glanced out the window before nodding and pulling open the door. “Lois. Clark. Come on in,” he told them, stepping aside with a smile. 

Chloe smiled when she heard their names and walked closer to the door. 

“Thanks,” Clark told Oliver, walking in after Lois, one bag of gifts in one of his hands.

“Merry Christmas,” he told Clark, motioning to the tree. “You can set the stuff anywhere.” 

“Merry Christmas,” he answered back then nodded a little then pausing when he saw Chloe with the baby. 

Oliver followed his gaze, chest feeling warm as he gazed at his wife and son, who were being squished in a careful hug by Lois.

“Merry Christmas,” Lois said, hugging her cousin and then looking down at the tiny infant. “He’s so tiny.” 

“Merry Christmas, Lo,” Chloe told her quietly, smiling down at her son and nodding. “He felt a lot bigger before he was born.” 

Clark smiled at the two of them and pat Oliver on the shoulder, nodding silently.

Oliver grinned at him, nodding slightly, too as they watched the women in their lives. 

“I’m sure he did,” she agreed, gently touching the baby’s head. “How are you feeling?” 

“Good,” she said quietly. “It’s been quiet, mostly. How have you guys been?”

Lois smirked. “Every day’s an adventure.” She glanced over at Clark, grinning. 

“Meaning you’re getting into trouble every chance you can and Clark is saving your life?” Oliver teased, glancing at Clark.

“That’s pretty close to the truth,” Clark agreed, nodding a little at Oliver then smiling at his fiancee. 

“Well, you know what you have to do to get her to calm down, right Clark?” Chloe grinned and lifted the baby a little. 

“Oh, no,” Lois said, arching her eyebrows. “We’re not even married yet. I think the whole kids thing is going to have to be up to you and Ollie for awhile.” 

“Kid, you mean,” Chloe corrected her cousin. “Singular.” 

Clark shook his head at that. “You did well the first time,” he told Chloe then glanced at Oliver.

“Mia,” Lois returned, smirking. “Totally counts.” 

“She’s more like a cousin,” Clark said, looking between Oliver and Chloe. 

“Hey, if that will get me out of having to go through labor again anytime soon, I’m with Lois.” Chloe told him. 

Oliver arched his eyebrows. “Not soon, but maybe someday, when Matthew’s older?” 

“We’ll talk about it then,” she told her husband, then turned back to her cousin. “Where is Mrs. Kent? I thought she was coming with you guys.” 

“She wanted to prepare some of the food back home, I’ll pick her up later,” Clark explained. 

“You guys want anything? Coffee or water or tea or hot chocolate?” Oliver offered, looking between them. 

“Coffee,” Lois said immediately. 

“I’m okay,” Clark said, then nodded at the tree. “I’ll go set these down,” he told them before heading toward it. 

“I still have my hot chocolate,” Chloe told her husband. 

Oliver nodded, moving past them and toward the kitchen to fix Lois a cup of coffee. 

“When’s everyone else supposed to be here?” Lois asked.

“Soon, I guess?” Chloe said before starting toward the couch and sitting back down. “I think Bart is giving Vic a ride, I’m not sure if AC and Dinah are coming via Zee or Ollie’s jet.”

Lois made a face at the mention of Dinah, but didn’t comment. 

“I know.” She smiled at the look on Lois’ face then shook her head. “But everyone else is coming and I’m sure she will be on her best behavior.” She adjusted Matthew to her other arm and frowned when he whimpered a little. “Sorry kid, my arm is asleep.”

“She _has_ good behavior?” she snarked, holding her arms out. “Here. Let me then.” 

Chloe stilled at that and arched her eyebrows. “Are you sure?” She asked and then shook her head. “I mean, I’m fine now.”

Lois arched her eyebrows, too. “Give me my nephew, Cuz. I’ve waited for _five_ days.” 

She took a deep breath then nodded. “Okay, but sit back first.” 

She sighed, but moved over to sit down on the sofa, then made a cradle with her arms, waiting. 

“Ahh--wash your hands,” Oliver said, returning to the living room with her cup of coffee. 

“Are you kidding?” Lois gave him a look. 

“Newborns are highly susceptible to germs and infections, Lois,” he said seriously, frowning. 

“It is true,” Chloe told her cousin, hugging Matthew to her once more. She knew Lois would be careful but other than the nurses, they had been the only ones to hold him until now.

She sighed heavily. “Fine, fine. Someone point me in the direction of a bathroom.” 

“The door right by the stairs, over there,” Chloe said, nodding at it and looking up at her husband as Lois went in that direction.

Oliver bit the inside of his cheek, glancing over to where Clark was, looking faintly amused. He set Lois’s coffee down on the table and moved over to his wife’s side. He leaned down and kissed Matthew’s forehead lightly, then smiled at Chloe.

“That goes for you too, you know?” Chloe told Clark, grinning at him. 

“I’m not sure I can have germs, but I will be sure to wash my hands,” Clark told her with a nod. 

A moment later, they heard footsteps rushing down the stairs and Mia stopped in the living room, wearing a red and yellow suit. “I’m done!” She said proudly with a grin then paused when she noticed Clark. “Oh, didn’t know you guys were here already.”

Oliver blinked a couple of times, looking over at Mia and staring at her for a moment. Then he looked back at Chloe with wide eyes. 

Chloe stared at Mia too, glancing over at Oliver and when she saw the look on his face, she knew it would be better if she talked first. “Is that... your secret project?” she asked carefully. 

“It’s my uniform,” Mia said with a grin. “I’m Speedy.” 

Oliver pursed his lips, forcing himself to take a deep breath, then looking back at the younger girl. “You did a good job on it,” he told her sincerely.

Relaxing a little, Chloe nodded. “It looks good, we will just need to add some protection.” 

“Awesome!” Mia grinned brightly and started back toward the stairs again. “Hey Lois!” She called as she passed the other woman.

“Hey, Mia,” Lois called back. 

Oliver looked at Chloe once Mia was out of sight again. “Got any Xanax?” 

“She’ll be fine, Ollie,” Chloe told him with a nod. “We will take the costume to add the protective padding and it can take months before it gets back.” Or at least he could have that until they really talked about Mia and patrols again. Later. 

“I can come watch her when you think she’s ready,” Clark offered.

“She’s ready,” he admitted. “But I’m not.” He blew out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Angst later. Give me the baby,” Lois said eagerly, sitting down on the sofa once more.

Chloe arched an eyebrow at Lois and smiled when she scooted back on the couch before carefully shifting Matthew over to her. “Be careful, I don’t think Ollie can handle another scare right now.”

“Definitely not,” he agreed, holding his breath as Lois took their son into her arms. 

“Hi, Matthew,” she cooed. “I’m your Auntie Lois.” 

Stretching her arms, Chloe watched her cousin for a moment then relaxed and patted Ollie’s leg gently. 

“I’ll go wash my hands,” Clark announced, making his way to the bathroom.

Oliver relaxed a little, leaning back against the sofa, smiling faintly at Chloe. “He seems to be a heavy sleeper. We think he must have gotten that from you,” he told Lois. 

She smirked. “Hopefully he stays that way so when you guys are making baby number two, he’s not scarred for life.” 

Chloe made a face at that and shook her head. “Do you have to go there, Lois? He will be sleeping alone, in his room by the time that happens.” 

“I stand by my statement,” Lois responded. 

Oliver smirked and shook his head, resting his hand on Chloe’s back. “No comment.” 

Clark returned from the bathroom and sat down next to Lois, smiling at the baby and nodding a little. “I do think he will need a cousin eventually,” he teased her. 

“I completely agree, thank you, Clark.” Chloe said instantly, leaning against Oliver’s side.

“Eventually,” Lois echoed, nodding, too. “After I have my first Pulitzer.” She leaned down and kissed Matthew’s cheek. He whimpered a little.

Chloe sat up a little at the noise to check on Matthew then glanced at Oliver. She had the feeling they were both going to be incredibly tense all day.

* * * 

The meal had gone pretty well, not that it could have gone any other way with Mrs. Kent cooking. Ollie helped some too but mostly he had stayed with her and Matthew, trying to keep everyone else from holding their son. Luckily, he had slept for a couple of hours while they were eating. But he was wide awake now that they were all sitting in the huge living room and Mia and Bart were handing out the gifts from under the tree. It was comfortable, being there with all of their friends, well their family, really. 

Chloe smiled and rubbed a hand over Matthew’s stomach, who was laying in Oliver’s arms and watched as the baby looked around. “I wonder if the noises from everyone are getting his attention.”

“Well, we are a loud bunch,” he teased lightly, grinning down at his son. He lowered his voice. “Also, you don’t get some of your gifts til later. They’re not all public-appropriate.” He smirked.

Chloe grinned at that and arched her eyebrows. “You realize we probably won’t be able to use things that are not... public-appropriate for a while, right?”

He kissed her temple, nodding. “Oh, I know. As long as you need to recover,” he said quietly.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek then pulled back a little. “Recovering won’t be a problem, staying away from you might be,” she teased, pausing when Mia came over and handed them a gift. 

“Another one for Matthew, I think he’s gonna be the big winner today,” she said with a grin then walked back to the pile. 

“Heck yeah. That’s my little man,” Oliver said with a grin, and several of their friends chuckled. He leaned in and kissed one of Matthew’s hands. 

Chloe smiled at him and reached to open the gift. “This one is from Lois and Clark.”

“Maybe your very own cape?” he suggested to the baby, glancing over at Clark and grinning.

Clark looked back at Oliver and nodded at him, turning to whisper something to Lois before standing up. 

“Your very own Sharks uniform,” Chloe announced as she laid the shirt over the baby, pausing when she turned to thank her cousin and Clark and saw him leaving the house. “Where is he going?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he heard someone who needed help,” Oliver suggested, glancing at her sideways. But there was a mischievous look in his eye.

“Normally I would agree,” she said, squinting a little as she watched him closely. “But you’re a terrible liar.”

He widened his eyes in feigned innocence. “What are you talking about?” 

“Uh huh.” She smirked at him then looked up when Bart stopped in front of them. 

“This one is for you, Bossman. Though I doubt anything you get is gonna be better than that one,” he said with a grin and nodded at Matthew.

“You’re right about that,” Oliver agreed, smiling back at Bart and then looking out the window. 

Chloe grinned at Bart then looked at her husband. “Need help opening it?” she asked, frowning at the distracted look on his face.

He looked over at her, arching his eyebrows. “What? Oh, sure go ahead,” he agreed, nodding. “What’s mine is yours, right?” He grinned.

“Well, this one is all yours, it’s from me,” she told him with a smile.

Oliver smiled sheepishly. “Oh. Well, you want to hold Matthew so I can open it?” 

She nodded a little, setting the gift between them and reaching carefully for the baby.

He shifted the infant into her arms as gently as possible, brushing his fingers over Matthew’s cheek and then picking up the package.

Chloe smiled at the baby and pressed a kiss to the top of his head before settling him on her lap and turning to watch Oliver.

He smiled at her and began pulling off the wrapping paper and the bow, reaching over and sticking the bow on the top of Mia’s head and then opening the box. Inside lay a large book. It looked like a photograph album, and on the front was a picture of them at their wedding, and he wondered how she’d found _that_.

“Open it,” she told him quietly, smiling.

He glanced at her sideways, then carefully opened it, realizing it wasn’t a photograph album, but a scrapbook. The first picture was one of his baby pictures and he couldn’t help but smile at that, glancing at Matthew. He flipped through the pages, seeing articles both she and Lois had written about him and Green Arrow over the years, along with candid pictures of him and the gang, and of course him with Chloe. He couldn’t imagine when she would have had time to put something this extensive together and he looked at her again, his eyes filled with warmth. “Thank you,” he whispered, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing her temple. “I love it.” 

“I’m glad,” she whispered, smiling as she leaned against his side. “And there is plenty of room for us to add to it as we go,” she told him quietly. Considering he had grown up without a family, she knew how important it was for him to always be reminded that now he had his own. And she also knew it wasn’t just her and Matthew, but also Mia, Lois, Clark and the team, so she wanted him to have something that represented all of that. 

His chest tightened at that and nodded, hugging her to him closer. “You’re the best wife ever,” he whispered.

Chloe shifted the baby to free one of her arms then wrapped it around him and shook her head. “Only because I have the best husband ever,” she whispered, smiling up at him.

Oliver kissed her softly on the mouth.

“They’re so adorable,” Courtney said to Mia, grinning.

Mia glanced over at them and shook her head, grinning too. “I don’t know how they don’t get sick of each other, they are always like that.” 

“It’s sweet.” She reached up and took the bow off Mia’s head.

“We can hear you,” Chloe told them, grinning a little at the two girls then looking back at Ollie. 

“We know,” Courtney assured her, grinning back at her and leaning against the wall a little more.

Oliver smirked. “Well, we are adorable,” he acknowledged with a nod.

Mia stilled and frowned as she stared at the window directly across from them, then stood up. “Okay, I didn’t even have eggnog, is that... _snow_?”

Courtney looked up and stared, too, then climbed to her feet. “Sure looks like it.” She moved over to the window, eyes wide.

“It can’t be,” Chloe said with a frown, looking at the window then at Oliver, confused.

He simply smiled at her. “Well, why don’t we go outside and see?” he suggested, rising to his feet.

Chloe stood too, shifting the baby carefully. “We need his blanket to cover him,” she said quietly, even as she walked closer to the window, it definitely looked like snow. 

Oliver nodded and moved over to the bassinet in the corner of the living room, lifting the blanket up and moving back to her side. He carefully covered the baby with it, kissing his forehead.

“It never snowed here before, right?” She asked even as the three of them started outside with all of their guests.

“Not to my recollection,” Oliver agreed, grinning as everyone filed outside. 

“And yet you’re not surprised about this?” She squinted suspiciously at him, looking out at the thin layer of snow covering the plants around the front porch, her eyes widening. It was _real_ snow, not the fake stuff.

“Well.” He stood beside her, sliding his hands into his pockets. “You _did_ say you missed snow in December...” 

“And last I checked, none of our friends had the ability to control the weat--” she paused and smiled, shaking her head. “Clark.”

Oliver smiled softly, nudging her gently with his elbow. “Guy has some amazing abilities.” 

“Thank you.” She smiled at Ollie, shifting closer to him and nodding a little. “Told you you’re the most amazing husband.”

He gazed at her. “I’ll do anything to keep you happy.” 

“I know, you always do,” she whispered, her eyes tearing a little as she watched him. “I don’t think there is any happier than this.”

Oliver smiled at that, wrapping his arms around her carefully. “For me either,” he whispered.

She adjusted the baby in her arms then tiptoed and kissed Ollie softly, smiling as a snowflake fell on her nose. “This is the perfect Christmas.” 

He kissed her back without hesitation. 

It really was.


End file.
